Collections : [West Virginia and Regional History Center]

Kemp applied for an NEH grant to fund his publication, "A History of Suspension Bridge, 1801-1870." The box includes drafts of his grant application, grant application guidelines, clippings, engineering drawings, event programs, newsletters, facsimile book excerpts and lists of rivers, correspondence, comments from grant application reviewers, bibliographies, curriculum vitae and budgets. Subjects include suspension bridges in the Americas and Europe and iron beams. Highlights include a NRHP nomination for the Rehoboth Avenue Bridge.

The box includes corrected copies of the Kemp's book, The Alexandria Canal: Its History and Preservation. It also includes correspondence, restoration coordination plans, expense sheets, engineering drawings, a map of the Transpotomac Canal Center, a presentation script, hand notes, brochures, bulletins, newsletters, and photographic prints of the Alexandria Canal. The box includes a facsimile report on the Alexandria Canal Aqueduct and natural cement illustrations. Finally, it includes book reviews and correspondence regarding natural cement mills. The following items were moved to Map Cabinet 12, Drawer 4, Folder 8: 17 engineering drawings (1980-1986), 14 facsimile engineering drawings (1837), 3 clippings (1985).

Kemp was a consulting engineer and industrial archaeologist for the restoration of the tide lock and basin to help with a revitalization project for Alexandria, Virginia. The box includes the Preliminary Archaeological Survey Report, field notes, pamphlets, photos, correspondence, clippings, and a consulting agreement. Additionally, it includes pamphlets on the history of the City of Alexandria. The box includes facsimile correspondence with the United States Department of Commerce regarding the Geodetic Survey maps and charts, facsimile newspapers, reports and reference lists regarding those facsimiles. Finally, the box includes original slides that show engineering drawings of the canal. The following oversize materials were moved to Map Cabinet 12, Drawer 4, Folder 8: 18 sheets of facsimile and original newspapers (1831-1845, 1976-1985, and undated), 10 maps (1838, 1877-1884, 1949-1973 and undated), 1 illustration (undated).

Kemp and Thomas Hahn, Kemp's student, wrote the book Alexandria Canal: Its History and Preservation. The box contains Alexandria Canal restoration photographs and illustrations for the book. The following oversize materials were moved to Map Cabinet 12, Drawer 4, Folder 8: Two maps (1855 and undated).

Kemp researched industrial archaeology. This box contains research materials, including pamphlets, clippings, magazine excerpts, newsletters, a typescript, an encyclopedia excerpt, student papers, facsimile articles. Subjects include trains, railways, infrastructure, steam engines, coal mining, New River Gorge development, American domestic gas lighting systems, logging in South Cheat, West Virginia, Minnesota logging, etc. Highlights include a facsimile report of the HAER No. MI-67 for the St. Clair Tunnel.

Kemp served on the American Society of Civil Engineer's Committee on the History and Heritage of American Civil Engineering, which published Pure and Wholesome: a Collection of Papers on Water and Waste Treatment at the Turn of the Century. This box includes his notes about the publication project and copies of the papers to be included in the compendium. The box includes a copy of the book, handwritten and typed drafts of prefaces and introductions to the book by the committee, correspondence, photographic prints, reports, scholarly articles, and handwritten notes. The box also includes facsimiles of the following: book excerpts, scholarly articles, correspondence, clippings, and minutes. Subjects include tunnels, bridges, water purification, city planning, municipal waste, public works projects, sanitary engineering, forest preservation, landmarks in civil engineering, and famous civil engineers.

Kemp collected these materials to use as reference when writing about bridges. Includes numerous facsimile book excerpts and facsimile journal articles, as well as original reports, bound copies of the United States Congressional Series Set, newsletters and correspondence. Subjects include rooves, iron structures, developments in civil engineering according to the American Society for Civil Engineering, bridges in the Upper United States South, and bridges over the Ohio River.

Kemp advised the City of Augusta, Georgia on an archaeological mitigation of their wastewater management system. As part of his consultation, Kemp researched the historic water system in Augusta. Correspondents include Thomas Robertson from Baldwin and Cranston Associates, Inc. and Jorge Jimenez from the City of Augusta. The box includes correspondence, reports, notes, clippings, transcribed meeting notes, newsletters, draft reports, and maps. The box also includes facsimiles of the following: book excerpts, photographs, clippings, maps, and notes. Subjects include historic water distribution in Augusta, water filtration, water treatment plants, power pumps, and pipes. Highlights include the American Water Landmark Candidate form. The following oversize items were moved to Map Cabinet 12, Drawer 14, Folder 7: two maps (1921 and 1976), one clipping (1981).

Kemp was the preservation engineer for the West Virginia Division of Highway's project to restore the Barrackville Covered Bridge in Barrackville, West Virginia. Paul D. Marshall & Associates, Inc. collaborated on the restoration of the 1853 Burr covered bridge. The box includes measurement lists, cost lists, contracts, meeting notes, reports, engineering drawings and correspondence. Subjects include the structural efficacy of the bridge, its history (including the designers Lemuel and Eli Chenoweth), Buffalo Creek (which the bridge spans), and the restoration of covered bridges in general. The following oversize items were moved to Box 342: one list (undated) and two engineering drawings (1986 and undated).